How many of you take the time to snap a photo of a trophy buck before the shot? Bo Carter did, during yet another amazing hunt shared with his son.
Sometimes when it all comes together, the details can sound almost too good to be true. Such was the case this fall for West Virginia’s Ty Carter (above right), a multiple HuntStand Contest award winner, and his dad Bo. The pair had been chasing a buck that ended up being a weekly winner in our 2018 Big Buck HIT LIST contest, and Bo managed to seal the deal on Nov. 2, earning him a Week Three win in our 2018 Big Buck ALERT contest that will net him an ALPS OutdoorZ Bino Harness X with Vital X rangefinder pocket, AND makes him eligible for our Grand Prize Drawing: A choice of either a sweet new binocular, OR a cutting-edge riflescope, from hunting optics specialist Leupold (contest details below). Enter now to join the fun!
Here are the exciting details of Bo Carter’s hunt, as told by his son Ty:
“Ty Carter here again. I’m writing with another Big Buck ALERT entry from West Virginia. This time however, it wasn’t me punching a tag but my father Bo, who anchored our top Big Buck Hit Lister from the summer of 2018. I’ll do my best to describe how it all unfolded from his perspective.
“We had been watching this buck on camera all summer trying to nail down his pattern. However, he wasn’t cooperating much at all through October. Part of the problem was that the buck had switched sides of the farm, much like my 2017 buck had done. He was spotty on coming in within legal daylight hours. It wasn’t until late October that I started to get him back on camera, on the far side of our farm. As the testosterone was starting to rise we knew the buck would be starting to show in daylight, especially with the large number of mature does on that side of the farm. We felt we just had to be in the right tree at the right time.
“Well, on November 2nd that time had come. I had made plans to hunt a stand behind my brother’s house after I got off work that evening. That morning, as I was talking to my father (who happened to stop in at my work), I told him of my evening hunt plans. He then said that he would take off a couple hours early and hunt as well, and told me he’d like to sit the stand I had earmarked for my own. After some debate I told him that was fine, but that he should be sure to take a scent-free shower before heading out there; my new plan was to hunt a nearby stand just across the road.
“My dad asked me what the wind was like. I pulled out my phone and opened the HuntStand app; checking the ScentCone I told him it was blowing down the holler to his left; a perfect wind for both of our stand locations that evening.
“At 3 p.m. my dad texted me saying he was getting a shower and offered me his stand. I quickly declined, as I work in a truck shop. I was covered in dirt and grease. I told him I would hunt across the road, as we had discussed, due to me not being able to be completely scent-free for that evening’s hunt.
“I got off work at 4 p.m. and made the short drive to our family farm. As I pulled in and was preparing my gear, dad pulled in across the road from me and did the same. After exchanging quick head-nods, we both headed to our stands. We knew it was time. Sweet November was here. I settled in my stand after bumping a small button buck off the clover field on my way in. I hooked my safety harness in and texted dad letting him know I’d made it in safely, as I always do. Instantly he texted me back writing, “10 is here..under me.” In complete disbelief I texted him back: “No he’s not or you would have shot him already!” 
That’s when things got interesting. Dad sent me a photo (see above) of the buck standing broadside beneath him at 15 yards! I couldn’t believe it, not even five minutes into our hunt and he already had the biggest deer on the farm under him. I quickly texted him back: “Shoot it!” A couple minutes went by before he sent another message: “Where there’s fire?” I replied, “There’s smoke!” I quickly called him and learned his story.
“I had just climbed in and hooked my safety harness onto the tree when out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a standing deer,” Bo Carter related. “Turning slowly I saw that it was the ‘Perfect 10’ at 25 yards…upwind. My bow was still hanging at the base of the tree! I slowly turned and started pulling my bow up, inch by inch, while watching the buck slowly make his way down into the field. I finally got my bow up and in my hands. I replied to your message, nocked an arrow, and settled my 20-yard pin behind his shoulder. Squeezing the release trigger I watched as the Rage broadhead buried deep into his side. A direct hit to the vitals! He spun and ran out of sight but I didn’t hear him crash.”
We both decided to stay on stand and pick up the tracking job at dark. A few minutes later, a short track job just around the hill led us straight to the ‘Perfect 10’…lying just 50 yards from impact. This hunt is another amazing memory shared together that will last a lifetime. Later that week, I checked a trail camera just up the hill from my dad’s stand and found it had captured one last unbelievable photo (see above) of his buck coming down the trail, headed to his stand.
“Thanks again HuntStand for one of the deadliest hunting tools we’ve used over the past three years!”
To enter the ScoutLook 2018 Big Buck ALERT contest, simply send us a few clear, high-res. digital photos (three to five) of your 2018 buck (accepted NOW THROUGH NOV. 29) along with a brief story of your hunt that explains how the HuntStand app played a part.
Be sure to tell us if your buck was known to you or a newcomer, then describe the area where your stand sits, or where the encounter took place, as well as the fateful day’s wind and weather conditions, and of course, the blow-by-blow account of the exciting action as it unfolded. Include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, weapon used, and also be sure to include your mailing address. Your e-mail subject line should read: Big Buck Alert! Send your photo(s) and requested info to: [email protected]
Team HuntStand will choose 12 weekly winners that we will share with the extensive HuntStand community; EACH weekly winner will receive BOTH the Bino Harness X (valued at $49.99) AND Vital X rangefinder pocket (valued at $19.99) from ALPS OutdoorZ (see above). 
In addition, at the end of the 12 weeks, all weekly winners will be placed in a drawing for our Grand Prize. The Winner will GET THEIR CHOICE of a Leupold BX-2 Tioga HD 8X42 binocular (shown above, a $389.99 value) OR a Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40 CDS riflescope (see below), a $389.99 value. 
Good luck out there this fall from all of us here at Team HuntStand, and let us know when (and how) you score!
